1. Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure is directed to a surgical tool, and more particularly directed to a surgical tool for inserting implantable devices within the body.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are a variety of different spinal diseases, such as scoliosis, as well as others, which may be cured or mitigated by implantation of certain devices. Such devices can include articles and mechanisms useful for repairing damaged portions of the spine, stabilizing portions of the spine, or changing the position of the spine to a more healthy state. For example, rod and anchor systems are commonly employed when portions of the spine need to be realigned, such as in patients with abnormal curvatures, wherein the rod provides rigid support for urging the spine to a more healthy position.
The implantation of rod and anchor systems typically involves the fixation of a plurality of screws within particular portions of a patient's spine. For example, it is typical for a surgeon to implant a series of anchors or set screws into a patient's spine and couple these screws to a rigid rod such that the spine is urged to align with the rod. Depending upon the severity of the curvature and the surgical procedure chosen by the patient and surgeon, the process of implanting the anchors and aligning them with a rod can be a time consuming and daunting procedure, with surgeries commonly taking hours if not longer. Such a process is particularly draining because the current state of the art with regard to the tools used to affixing the anchors within the spine is a generally manual process including the use of powerless, hand-held tools.